Community planning services in Glenelg Shire Council : 1998-2005 ...

Did the council effectively manage its outsourced planning services? 113
5.3.3 Reviewing sensitive, complex or high-risk planning
decisions
One of the biggest risks facing the council was the approval of applications
that did not comply with the requirements of the planning scheme or other
relevant legislation. We expected to see a referral/approval process that
involved senior council staff in more sensitive and complex planning
applications. For the most complex and sensitive issues, we envisaged that
council would become involved in the approval process.
The Municipal Association of Victoria’s, Planning in Victoria A Councillors’
Guide 51 states that councillors need to be aware of the following to perform
their planning role effectively:
state and local planning policies
the basis for planning decisions
key steps in the planning permit application process
major, significant and controversial planning permit applications.
Interviews with councillors indicated that they were generally satisfied
with the planning contractor’s performance and encouraged him to act
with total autonomy within the bounds of the instrument of delegation.
However, it also became evident from these conversations with councillors
that:
many lacked a basic knowledge of the planning process and what the
process was trying to achieve
most had very limited knowledge of major, significant and controversial
planning permit applications. Generally, the only time councillors
became aware of such applications was when an objection to a permit
was lodged with VCAT or when the contractor referred an application
to council meetings. This was rare.
5.3.4 Working relationship between the contractor and
the council
While the contract is vitally important, it only represents the formal and
legal arrangement that governs the contracting relationship. A contract will
never capture the full nature of the relations between the parties that
guides much of the day-to-day activity.
51 Municipal Association of Victoria 2002, Planning in Victoria A Councillors’ Guide, Municipal
Association of Victoria.